Tell Her
by moonlitmuse
Summary: Tony has something very important to tell Kate, even though it's the worst possible time. How will Kate react? And how will everyone else take the news? Total TATE!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Sorry for the short beginning, but I promise it'll get longer. As always, please review! I thrive on it!

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill, NCIS and its characters belong to Bellasario. The title and the lyrics belong to Lonestar.

**Tell Her**

"Kate." The single word tumbled from his lips. He was terrified and he knew this definitely wasn't the best time, but it was his last chance. Even though it was selfish, he needed her to know.

She turned back at the sound of her name and saw the uncertainty in Tony's eyes. It wasn't a look she was used to since he was always so cocky and sure of himself. She took a few steps toward him until there were only a few feet between them. "What's wrong?"

He swallowed and took a deep breath. "Nothing's wrong, I just…" He looked to the ground, totally unsure of himself. "I just wanted you to know…" He couldn't get the words out.

"What is it, Tony? Come on, spit it out. It can't be that bad." Kate smiled jokingly, but Tony was starting to scare her. He was being totally un-Tony-like. She'd never seen him so unsure.

_Of course it's bad_, he thought. _We're standing outside of your rehearsal dinner on the eve of your wedding. It can't get worse than that. _Instead of saying that, he decided to try to kind of ease into the speech he'd been working on forever. "Do you remember when we were in G'tmo and you said I was like a brother to you?"

Kate nodded but she had no idea where he was going with this.

"Well, I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I really, really care about you and I don't want to do anything to hurt you. You know that, right?" God, what was he doing? This was definitely not going like he'd planned.

He could see the questions in her eyes but she nodded anyway. She was totally lost, then an idea donned on her. What if Tony knew something that was going to hurt her? What if he'd found out something bad about Shawn? Or what if something had happened at the bachelor party?

He saw the sudden panic flood her eyes and he hated that he'd caused it. Had she figured it out? It was time to get it over with as quick and hopefully painless as possible, not that saying it quick would make the rejection any easier. He took a deep, steadying breath, then let it all out. "Don't marry Shawn. He's not good enough for you. No man is. And I know I'm not good enough, but I want to be." Tears were shining in his eyes as he pleaded with her to understand, to love him back.

She was stunned silent, so he took her hands in his and continued as he stared straight into her beautiful eyes. "I've been in love with you since Air Force One. I tried to hide it and I know I was a jackass sometimes, but it doesn't change how I feel. I used to watch you sleep in the office and think that was as close as I'd ever get, but I can't do that anymore. Please, don't marry him. Marry me."

_Tell her that you love her_

_Tell her that you need her_

_Tell her that you want her to stay_

_Reassure her with a kiss_

_She may never know unless you_

_Show her what you're feeling_

_Tell her you're believing_

_Even though it's hard to say_

'_Cause she needs to know you're thinking of her_

_So open up and tell her that you love her_

Of all the things Kate had imagined Tony would tell her, this had never even crossed her mind. Actually, it had, but only in her dreams. She had wanted Tony since she'd seen him on Air Force One, and her feelings had only grown the more she got to know him. She'd hidden it with jokes and sarcasm and had told herself it would never happen. She'd met a nice guy that she could be happy with, even though he wasn't Tony. Now her dream was coming true just as she'd totally let it go. What was she supposed to do?


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **Please Review! Let me know if I should keep going with this or end it here. Chapter 3, if you want it, is the aftermath and things get kind of dicey. ; )

**Tell Her: Chapter 2**

"I, um…I have to go." She blurted out as she turned to bolt, but Tony grabbed her arm.

"Wait, please. I'm sorry, I know the timing sucks but this was my last chance. I would have hated myself forever if I hadn't given it a shot. I always would have wondered what might have been." He looked at her wistfully. "You look beautiful tonight, just like you always do. I used to dream of a night like this, of me and you together the night before our wedding. You would be radiant and I would be totally blown away every time I looked at you, and I'd keep wondering what I ever did to be so lucky."

She was staring into his eyes, completely caught up in the picture he was creating. She'd seen the same night in her own dreams, only it had been her who'd kept wondering how she'd gotten so lucky. Since she wasn't trying to run away anymore, he raised his hand to lightly brush a strand of hair from her face. He tucked it behind her ear and then trailed his fingers down her jaw. He used two fingers to gently tilt her chin, then slowly dipped his head lower giving her plenty of time to pull away.

Pulling away was the last thing on Kate's mind. Her eyes moved to his mouth as she watched it descend upon hers. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips in anticipation. Her eyes slowly closed as he drew nearer until finally her lips met his, tenderly and unhurried. They'd waited 2 years to arrive at this moment and they were going to savor it.

He licked her lips and they parted. She tasted better than he ever could have imagined, and just like that the kiss became fiercer, stronger, hotter. He pulled her closer, trying to meld their bodies together and get as close as humanly possible. He wanted to feel every inch of her that he possibly could and she responded back, holding him as tight as possible.

After what seemed like an eternity they pulled apart, completely breathless. She rested her head on his chest, leaning into him as he whispered in her ear. "I love you. I've always loved you."

"I've always loved you too. She looked up at him and smiled. "But I always thought it was just a silly dream, my own personal fairytale…until now." She tipped her head up and kissed him again, sweet and slow this time.

"We should have done this two years ago. I can't believe how much time we wasted because I was afraid to tell you how I feel. But we're finally together and I guess that's all that matters." He stroked her hair, continuing to run his fingers lightly down her arm and back up again. She shivered and he smiled before releasing her briefly to shrug of his suit jacket. He draped it over her shoulders and then wrapped his arms around her again.

"Thanks." She snuggled into him seeking his warmth. She wasn't sure why but she suddenly had goosebumbs. He was content to hold her with his head resting on top of hers as the rest of the world passed them by. But the real world has a way of intruding at the worst possible moments and they couldn't stay that happy and carefree forever.

"Kate." She heard a familiar voice behind her and mentally slapped herself. "What's going on?"

Tony looked up and saw Shawn standing behind Kate and closed his eyes. _Damn,_ he thought, _there goes our moment of perfection. _Then a more worrisome thought popped into his mind. How was she going to react when faced with her fiancée? _She's going to stay with me, right?_

Kate looked up at Tony hoping they could share a look so that he'd understand, but his eyes were closed. She sighed and spun around in his arms to face Shawn. "Umm," she started but wasn't sure what she was supposed to say. She felt Tony's arms tighten around her in a silent show of support and she squeezed his hand in return. She could do this, but Shawn beat her to it.

"I should have known something like this was going to happen, the way you two always flirt with each other. And all I ever hear when you get home is Tony this and Tony that. It was only a matter of time." He was rambling on, almost talking to himself as a way to make sense of what he was seeing. "But it's the night before our wedding. At least now I know you got it out of your system and I won't have to worry about it anymore, but I would prefer it if you got a new partner. What you two did is against the rules anyway so I'm sure they won't give you a problem about it."

Kate stared at him in disbelief. He was calmer than she would have expected under the circumstances, but he couldn't seem to stop talking. He actually believed this was a one time thing, even after all the chemistry and flirting he'd seen between them. She was waiting for him to finish talking so she could set him straight, but she was becoming impatient.

She'd been feeling horrible about what she had to do to him, but he was beginning to annoy her. Suddenly she didn't know what she'd ever seen in him. She actually laughed out loud at the thought and Shawn finally shut up, totally confused. She turned serious. This was her time to tell him the truth. "I'm sorry Shawn, but this wasn't a onetime thing. I love Tony and I always have. I know this is a horrible time to tell you this, but at least I figured it out before we got married. You're a really great guy, you just aren't the guy for me. You deserve to be with someone who can really love you."

He stood frozen to the spot. He couldn't believe she'd just broken up with him at their rehearsal dinner. "You're serious!" He asked incredulously. "You're actually going to choose him over me? This is the guy who chases everything with legs. He can never love you the way that I do."

"You're right." Tony's voice from behind her startled Kate and she turned to look at him. "I could never love her the way that you do." He paused for a moment, looking deeply into Kate's eyes. "I love her more." She smiled up at him and they were once again lost in their own perfect world.

"He only wants one thing, Kate. He'll dump you as soon as he gets it and you'll come running back to me. You know you will, so why not save yourself the pain and marry me. You know that's what you really want. This is all just pre-wedding jitters, nothing more." He tried to act calm and rational, to reason with her, but the only effect his words appeared to have was the agitation that was etched across her features.

She'd tried being nice, but she was getting really frustrated with him. He refused to see the truth and he was annoying the hell out of her. Plus, even though she should probably feel horrible about it, she really wanted to be snuggled back into Tony's arms again. "Look, Shawn, its over. I'm sorry, but that's all there is to it. I love Tony and nothing you can do or say can change what's in my heart. Please, just let it go and leave me alone."

He started to say something but thought better of it. His face dropped and he sadly whispered, "Goodbye, Kate" as he turned and walked away. When he had disappeared from sight, Tony leaned down to whisper in Kate's ear. "You okay?"

"I'm great, as long as I have you." She turned around and kissed him. It was just the answer he'd been hoping to hear.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Thanks for all the reviews! Please review and let me know what you think! I could really use the motivation this week. I'm not sure when I'll be able to post a new chapter for any of my stories since I'll be finding out tomorrow if I have to undergo two knee surgeries to repair the damage my first orthopedic surgeon caused : (

**Tell Her: Chapter 3**

They stood outside in each other's arms for what felt like forever, just staring at the stars shining in the deep blue sky. Neither one of them were looking forward to going back inside and allowing the real world to invade upon their serenity. They knew it was unavoidable, but they wanted the world to begin and end with them for as long as possible. But the real world was going to rear its ugly, well…far-from-ugly head again sooner than they thought.

"Kate! DiNozzo! What the hell are you guys doing!" Gibbs' voice broke the calm, clear night, causing both agents to jump. They spun around to face Gibbs, unable to hide their slightly guilty expressions.

"Ummm…" Tony struggled to find the right words, caught totally off-guard by his boss' sudden appearance. He offered a sheepish grin before hugging Kate close and continuing on with his typical DiNozzo cockiness. "We're finally doing what's right. It's what we should have done years ago." He paused briefly for emphasis. "I love her, Gibbs." He locked eyes with Gibbs, letting him see the depth of emotion and the truth behind his words.

"And I love him." Kate immediately echoed Tony. They both looked at Gibbs expectantly, waiting for his blessing or his anger.

"Well, you picked one hell of a time to finally admit it!" Gibbs smiled after making them sweat it out for a minute and even chuckled when he saw the identical stunned expressions on their faces.

"You're not mad?" Kate stared at Gibbs like he'd suddenly sprouted horns, completely unable to believe his reaction. At the very least she had expected a lecture about Rule 12 or a threat that their relationship better not interfere with work.

"I'm not dumb. Everyone figured you two would wise up eventually and see what everyone else already knew. Hell, I had my suspicions the first time I told you about Rule 12, Kate. That's part of why we were all so shocked when you told us you were getting married. I actually started to think I may have been wrong." He chuckled and Kate looked up at Tony and rolled her eyes.

Gibbs suddenly resumed his usual, deadpan military face, and both agents began to worry. "Seriously, though, you two know the rules. I hate having to lose one of you, but that's something you have to be willing to live with. I'll even let you decide which one of you transfers. I can give you a week, but that's a choice you'll have to make." He really was sorry about this, and he would change the rules if he could. He knew that they would be fine working together since the feelings had always been there. Nothing would have changed, except maybe a little less bickering, but he doubted he could convince his bosses of that.

"Look boss, I know that's the rule but can't you make an exception or something. You know we wouldn't let this affect our work. We work too well together and…" Tony trailed off when Gibbs shot him a look that clearly said _shut up before I smack you._

"I know and I don't like doing this, but it's not up to me. Once the brass finds out they will force one of you to transfer. All I can do is give you the choice and try to get whichever one of you leaves stationed at the closest office."

Kate and Tony looked at each other alarmed. They had known that one of them would probably have to leave the team but they'd never considered the possibility of being transferred out of state. They were finally together and now NCIS might rip them apart. Tony's stomach dropped and he hugged Kate tighter, trying to concentrate on the feel of her instead of the possibility of losing her. He shuddered at the very idea, but then another idea began to form in Tony's devious brain.

"Hey, Boss. What if we keep this quiet for awhile? If we don't let anyone know we'll have more time to see if there's some kind of alternative, or to make a case for changing the rule. Whatever, we'll figure something out. We have to because I'm not going to lose her. Please, Gibbs, just give us some time." He pleaded with Gibbs, praying he would understand and say yes. As usual, he couldn't read Gibbs' face, so he held his breath as Gibbs mulled over what Tony was asking him to do.

"It's going to be a hard thing to pull off. I'm sure that people noticed Kate leave her own rehearsal dinner, and some of them may have noticed that you're missing too. Some one will put it together after you call off the wedding. You know Abby has already figured it out, but maybe you'll get lucky and the brass won't here about it." He paused and both of their faces dropped. This was sounding far from promising. "As long as they don't know about it, I don't see any reason we should tell them. Hell, they're so incompetent that you guys might actually pull this off. Just keep this extremely quiet and completely out of the office. Got it?" Gibbs didn't want to lose one of his agents and he really didn't give a shit what the brass thought.

"Got it." Kate and Tony answered simultaneously with huge grins on their faces. There was no way in hell that any stupid rule could stand a chance against their love. The brass wouldn't know what hit them.

"By the way, where's Shawn?" Gibbs inquired, his mind now on how Kate was going to get out of this one. "I know he came out here to find you, so I'm guessing he found you two together."

Tony and Kate solemnly nodded. Kate still felt really bad for hurting Shawn, especially because of how and when he'd found out. Tony could sense how she was feeling, so he squeezed her tightly and lightly kissed her temple. She rewarded him by turning her head for a quick kiss, and when she pulled away she was smiling. Tony really did make everything better, she thought as she smiled even brighter, realizing just how lucky she was.

Gibbs cleared his throat, forcing their attention back to him. "You need to figure out what you're going to tell everyone, Kate. Then we need to get back inside. Correction. Kate and I will go back inside while you get out of here." He gave Tony a hard stare, letting him know that this was an order while, at the same time, daring him to object. "That way it'll look less suspicious. You can make up a cover. Tell everyone that you left early for some reason. Get you're stories straight and make it good, then we'll go back inside and you can let everyone know there won't be a wedding."

"Okay." Kate voiced her agreement while Tony just nodded, not liking that he would be separated from Kate when she'd definitely need someone to be there for her. She'd be dealing with a room full of questions, whispers, and accusations, especially from the half of the room that was there for Shawn. He hadn't really met Kate's parents but he could imagine what their reaction would be, and it wouldn't be pretty. They'd probably pounce on her and question her to death while smothering her with hugs. He knew this was how it had to be, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Let's just keep it simple." Tony's devious mind began plotting. "We can tell everyone that I wasn't feeling well so I went outside for some air. You saw me leave and came out to make sure I was ok."

"That's good." Kate interrupted. "I can tell everyone that you didn't look very good and I was worried about you. The little details are what make a story believable, so I'll say that when I found you outside I realized you had a fever and ordered you to go home and rest. I didn't want you to miss my wedding, and I really didn't want you to get me sick." She smirked at him.

"That's perfect. It sounds just like us." Tony had to smile at how much it sounded like their usual banter. Quick wit and smart comebacks were just two of the many reasons he loved Kate. He picked up the story where Kate had left off. "I finally went home after complaining that you just wanted to get rid of me. You stayed outside for a little bit to enjoy the fresh air and the beautiful night." They shared a secret, knowing grin over just how beautiful the night had become. "Then Shawn came out and found you underneath the tree in the back of the parking lot." He paused and waited for Kate to pick up the story, knowing that it was her break-up so she had to be the one to do it.

"I'd been thinking about everything while I was outside." Kate started solemnly after taking a minute to compose herself. She decided she had to stick as close to the truth as possible. The truth is what made the most sense. It was the only reason to call off a wedding besides being in love with someone else, which was definitely not the right thing to tell them. "I realized that this just wasn't right for me. I cared about him, but I didn't love him the way that I should if I was going to marry him. I realized that I was settling for happy when what I really wanted was ecstatic. So I told him I was sorry and that I'd take care of telling everybody, so he left."

She looked at the ground, feeling really horrible for what she'd done to Shawn. But she had Tony's arms around her, helping to hold her up, so she knew she'd be ok, just like she knew she'd do the exact same thing over again if she had to. Tony kissed the top of her head, feeling her despair and needing to reassure her. She turned back to look up at him and he instantly put the smile back on her face. She spun around in his arms until she was nicely snuggled into his chest. He held her tight, trying to offer her all of his strength for the hell she had ahead of her.

Gibbs was watching the restaurant to make sure that, even though they were hidden in the shadows at the back of the parking lot, no one could see them. He glanced at his watch and knew they couldn't wait any longer. He turned back to the intertwined couple and, although he slightly bad for breaking their moment, cleared his throat. "We have to go. Now. Get out of here quick, DiNozzo, before anyone else comes out here."

"Wait, what's your part of the story?" Kate asked Gibbs, desperate to make sure that nothing could go wrong. They had to pull this off flawlessly so that she could buy more time with Tony. She wasn't going to leave any detail to chance.

"I was concerned when I couldn't find two of my agents so I looked for you outside. I couldn't find Tony's car, but I did find you under this tree. I asked what was wrong and where Tony was, and you told me the story. Good enough?" Gibbs quickly rattled off his story, receiving nods from Kate and Tony. "Let's go. Tony first."

Kate turned back to Tony and he could see the worry in her eyes. She was biting her lip and Tony could feel the nervousness rolling off of her. He knew exactly how she felt. He was terrified that this wouldn't work or that Kate would get verbally attacked when she told everyone the wedding was off. Mostly, he was worried and scared because he couldn't be there to protect her, but he knew there was nothing he could do about that. All he could do was reassure her now and hold her tight when they got home, where he could kiss her and make everything better.

He held her close, seeing Gibbs glance at his watch behind her. He got the message even though leaving was the last thing he wanted to do, at least without Kate leaving too. He pulled back just enough to lean down and kiss her. He poured his heart and soul into this kiss, as if it were the most important kiss of his lifetime. Although, with Kate every kiss was the most important, just because it was one more kiss with her.

He released her lips to whisper in her ear. "Everything will be okay. Don't listen to what any of them say. Hear my voice instead. I love you more than I can put into words. I need your touch and your smile more than I need my next breath. Today is the second best day of my life, because the first has always been reserved for the day I marry you." He kissed her quickly, knowing they needed to leave but unable to keep his lips from tasting her one more time.

He finally pulled back as she whispered, "I love you, too, and I can't wait until this is over and I can be back in your arms again." He kissed her cheek in response and forced himself to walk to his car. It was the hardest thing he'd ever done, even harder than telling her he loved her. If that had backfired, he would have been the one who got hurt, but if this didn't go well she would be the one who suffered. He'd do anything to be able to protect her from that, from all the hurt in the world. He felt so powerless just walking away, like he was completely abandoning her. He got into his car unseen and, while staring at Kate in the rearview mirror, drove out of sight.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: **Sorry this has taken so long.life has been pretty crazy lately. I managed to write a few chapters while I've been laid up getting my knee worked on, but they're written the old fashion way so I have to find time to type them up. Please review! It's the only thing that's gonna motivate me to type up the next chapter :-D

**Chapter 4**

Kate watched him drive away, letting out a deep breath when his taillights finally disappeared from sight. She really was alone now, more alone than she'd ever felt before because now she knew the alternative, that amazing feeling of being completely and totally connected to another person. Ten seconds apart and she already missed him, proof of how important he'd become to her tonight. Of course, he'd always been a very important part of her life, she'd just been scared to admit it.

She was still staring at the spot where she'd last seen the glow of Tony's taillights, totally lost in thought, when Gibbs gently placed a hand on her shoulder. She fought the reflex to jump and whipped her head to look at him, turning the faintest shade of red as she realized that she'd completely forgotten he was there. She let out another deep breath and gave a small nod to his unvoiced question, even though every impulse in her body was screaming for her to run.

She knew she had to do this, and the faster she got it over with the sooner she could get back to Tony. That was the only reason her feet finally unglued themselves from the ground and, with only the slightest prodding from Gibbs, she started towards the restaurant.

Several heads turned as she entered the restaurant and made her way to the front of the room. She had no clue what she was supposed to say, or how she should break the news. She passed her mother, who shot her a questioning look that Kate chose to ignore. She'd tell everyone at once and make a fast getaway, she decided. Everyone would assume she was heartbroken, so leaving quickly would be expected. No one would guess that she was racing back to Tony's arms instead of fleeing from the spotlight so she could mend a broken heart.

She had to bite her lip to keep from smiling at the thought of Tony's arms around her, but nothing she could do would chase that thought, plus the many more that starred Tony, from her mind. She kept walking towards her table on autopilot but her mind was a million miles away, lost inside Tony's apartment. She should not be thinking these thoughts right now, but she couldn't help it. She'd wanted Tony for so long, and now she would finally have him. She swallowed hard, feeling flushed at the mere thought of what she could be doing tonight. With Tony.

She drew a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm herself down. Now was definitely not the right time to be getting all excited. It was hard, but she forced her mind back to the only thing that was standing between her and the amazing night she was fantasizing about. She finally reached her table and realized that everyone was already staring at her. She panicked for a moment, wondering if they could tell what she'd been thinking.

She scanned the small crowd, breathing a silent sigh of relief when she realized that no one had picked up on anything. Even her teammates were looking at her curiously, and she wished she could at least tell them the truth. She kept her eyes locked on their table as she cleared her throat to address the crowd, not really caring what anyone but them thought.

Just as she was about to speak, she saw Abby poke Gibbs, who she hadn't even realized had gone back to his seat. She froze when she saw Abby ask Gibbs where Tony was. Gibbs shrugged, and Abby turned her attention back to Kate, glancing at Shawn's empty seat before looking at Kate with a knowing, encouraging smile. That smile gave Kate the little bit of courage she needed to finally make her announcement.

"Can I have everyone's attention, please?" Okay, so she probably hadn't needed to say that since every eye in the room was already on her. Now what? "Umm, I don't exactly know how to put this, but the wedding has been cancelled. I'm sorry for the short notice, but it's for the best." Kate bit her lip nervously as she looked out at her stunned audience. She wasn't sure what to do next. All she knew was that she had to get out of there, and fast. She quickly bolted towards the door, hearing footsteps following only a brief second later.

"Katie, wait." Kate's mother yelled as Kate pushed through the door, escaping into the deserted parking lot. The words did nothing to slow Kate down as she raced toward her car with her mom hot on her heels. She fumbled for her keys, but couldn't find them in her small, completely overstuffed purse. She silently cursed her luck as she reached her car and, still keyless, was forced to finally stop.

Her mom closed the small gap between them, arriving at Kate's side just as she pulled out her stupid keys. Her mom reached out to touch her shoulder but Kate shrugged her off, forcefully jamming the keys into the lock and ripping the door open.

"Please, Kate. What happened? Did you and Shawn have a fight?" Kate glared but refused to answer, tossing her purse into the car and sliding in after it, but her angry silence wasn't enough to dissuade her mom. She put herself between the car and the door so that Kate had no choice but to listen. "Honey, are you sure you aren't just overreacting? A lot of people get cold feet before the wedding, but that's no reason to throw everything away."

Kate looked up at her mother, giving her the angriest glare she could muster. Her mom could be totally oblivious and far too cheery at times. She reminded Kate of an old Kindergarten teacher, constantly treating everyone as if they were 5. Her condescending tone made Kate want to scream, but if she did Gibbs would probably think she was being attacked and everyone would come running out. She'd definitely had enough unwanted attention tonight, plus a lot of amazing attention. A smile tickled the corners of her mouth as she thought about Tony's heated attention. She really couldn't wait to have his undivided attention again.

She shook her head before her thoughts got deliciously off track and forced her attention back to her mother, who was still trying to talk some sense into her. "You know how much Shawn loves you, and he's going to make a great husband and be an amazing father someday. You don't know what you're doing right now. You're not thinking clearly right now. Trust me, you're both going to regret this in the morning. You should call him and talk to him, straighten this whole mess out."

"Mom!" Kate yelled, unable to take another minute of her mother telling her what was best for her. The woman really didn't have a clue, but Kate couldn't risk filling her in even if she'd wanted to, which she definitely didn't. She was long past caring what her mother thought. This definitely wouldn't be the first time Kate disappointer her, and it probably wouldn't be the last. She gritted her teeth, trying to stay as calm as possible under the circumstances.

"Listen. I'm only going to tell you this once. Shawn and I are over. We were never meant to be, and nothing you say is going to change anything. It's my life and it's my decision. I made my choice, and I'm happy with it." Actually, ecstatic was more like it, but she wasn't about to tell her mom that. "The way I look at it, I just saved myself from making a horrible mistake that would have ruined my life. He wasn't my Prince Charming, Mom. Why should I settle for less?"

"You always loved that book." Her mom had tears shining in her eyes. She'd never seen her daughter speak so passionately before. Even though she still didn't know what had caused Kate's sudden decision, she found herself agreeing with her. "You should never have to settle. I just didn't want you to regret this in the morning, but you obviously have your reasons and they aren't going to change. Just remember that all I want is for you to be happy and to find someone that makes you happy, just like I found your father."

They were both fighting back tears as Kate stood up to hug her mother. When they pulled back, her mom had a thoughtful look in her eye. She opened her mouth, but quickly closed it again. Kate looked at her questioningly but she shook her head. "Never mind, just go home and get some rest. You look like you could use it." She smiled and stepped away, closing the door after Kate slid back inside. Kate waved as she pulled out of her parking spot, completely surprised that her mom had been so understanding. She should have been more curious as to what her mom had been about to say since that look usually meant trouble, but she was too anxious to see Tony.


End file.
